The kick-off of new vehicles demo projects under the FCH JU program throughout Europe this autumn, coincides with the launch by the EU Commission of new  infrastructure programs that are increasingly referring to the need to start serious integration of low carbon technologies in Europe’s energy and transport system.

The presentation of the EU Connecting Europe Facility on October referred to a budget of  € 50 bln to Energy ( € 9 bln), ICT ( € 9 bln) and Transport (€ 32 bln). Especially the reference to the large budget for the Trans European Network for Transport (TEN T program, that presented its new new Guidelines on the same date, should open opportunities for the integration of the first infrastructures for alternative fuels like hydrogen. The support of the EU Commission at the launch of HyER (former HyRaMP),  “Hydrogen, fuel cell and Electro-mobility in European Regions”, the association of local authorities hosted by the EHA on October 27 in Brussels is demonstrating that EU decision makers are looking to use the results of past and current demo projects to develop fact based policy and large scale programs to achieve the EU targets set out in the recent Transport White Paper. Linking the first hydrogen hubs that are being build up around the EU demonstration projects, along key corridors in Europe should therefore become part of national and regional strategic development. The EHA together with its 21 national member associations is ready to take on the challenge!